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Your loan is secured by a first-position lien on a real property, recorded through a licensed title company. This is the same legal position a bank holds on a conventional mortgage. If the borrower stops paying, you hold the primary claim on the property.

Every deal is closed through a title company with full documentation, title insurance, and a recorded lien. You never send money directly to us or to anyone. Everything goes through the title company.

For a deeper look at how lien protection works, what the numbers look like on a real deal, and how notes can be held in retirement accounts, check out The Private Lending Playbook.

If a borrower defaults, we work to resolve the situation first. In most cases, that means working out a payment plan or finding a new buyer for the property. If that doesn't work, foreclosure is the backstop.

As the first-position lienholder, you have the legal right to recover the property. The process takes time (typically a few months depending on the state) and involves legal costs, but your claim on the property is senior to all other debts. The property itself is your collateral, and we structure every deal with an equity cushion between the loan amount and the property value.

Yes. Many of our lending partners use self-directed IRAs or solo 401(k)s. A self-directed account works just like a regular IRA on the tax side (traditional or Roth, same rules), but the custodian allows alternative investments instead of just stocks and funds.

If you have an old 401(k) from a previous employer or an IRA sitting in a target-date fund, it can be rolled to a self-directed custodian and used for private lending. The payments flow back into your retirement account tax-deferred or tax-free depending on your account type.

We have a full explanation of how this works on our blog: How to Use a Self-Directed IRA for Private Lending.

Most of our notes are in the $30,000 to $50,000 range. That said, the intro call is just a conversation. We're happy to talk through the model regardless of where you are right now. There's no minimum to have a conversation.

Typical note terms are 3 to 5 years. Your capital is not liquid during that period. You can't withdraw it early the way you'd sell a stock.

Every month you receive a payment that includes both interest and principal, so a portion of your capital is returned to you with each payment. But the full principal isn't returned until the note matures or the borrower pays off the loan early.

If you need all of your capital fully liquid at all times, this isn't the right fit.

No. This is not a bank deposit. Your investment is secured by real property with a recorded lien, not by a government guarantee.

The protections are structural: first-position lien, title insurance, equity cushion in the property, borrower skin in the game through their down payment, and full amortization that reduces your exposure every month. These are real protections, but they are not the same as FDIC insurance. We're upfront about that because we think you should understand exactly what you're getting into before committing capital.

Single-family homes in working-class neighborhoods, primarily in Ohio and Missouri. These are modest, affordable homes typically purchased under $80,000. We sell them to owner-occupant families on seller financing.

The buyer lives in the home, makes a down payment, and is responsible for maintenance, taxes, and insurance. We don't work with luxury properties, commercial buildings, or speculative developments.

Payments are processed through a third-party loan servicing company. The buyer makes their monthly payment to the servicer, and the servicer deposits your share directly into your bank account or retirement account on a set schedule.

You don't collect payments yourself, chase late payments, or handle any of the servicing. That's all managed for you.

No. You are the lender, not the landlord. The buyer owns the home (or is purchasing it on a land contract) and is responsible for all property maintenance, repairs, taxes, and insurance.

You have no property management responsibilities. Your only relationship is to the note itself, which pays you a fixed monthly amount.

It starts with a short intro call. We talk about your situation, explain how the model works, and answer your questions. If it seems like a mutual fit, we'll discuss specific opportunities in a follow-up conversation.

We don't present deals on the first call. We take time to get to know each other first. Nothing moves forward until you're comfortable and have had time to do your own due diligence.

Dan Wilson is a former Air Force officer (14 years) and full-time real estate investor with over 100 transactions. Jon Smith is a former restaurant regional manager turned real estate investor with over 70 transactions. Together they've completed over 170 deals across Ohio and Missouri.

You can learn more about us on our About page.